fuel cycle will be plutonium-239 which has a 24,400 year halflife.
In other words,
in 240,000 years the inventory of this
hazardous material would be reduced by only a factor of 1000
due to natural radioactive decay.
This material must be
isolated from the environment in perpetuity.
Ili.
Existine Standards for Plutonium Exsosure
Radiation exposure standards have been established
because radiation is known to produce cencer and genetic
mutations in individuals irradiated.
The mutations can
in turn cause genetic defects in subsequent generations.
Tae intenc of the exposure standards is to limit this biological
danace.
The macnituce of the biological effect has been
shown to be related to the radiation dose.
dose the greater the effect.
The higher the
Therefore, the primary radia-
tion exposure standard is one that limits the radiation
ou
ose.
This orimary standard is generally referred to as the
maximum permissible dose and is given in units of ren/yr.
wa snall discuss the nature of this unit subsequently.
An individual can be exposed to radiation from sources
that are external
to his body as,
for example,
an X-ray
machine or irom radionuclides which emit X-ray like radiation
deoosited on tne ground
(this occurred with fallout from
natlear weapon tests).
Alternacely, an individual can be